Japan Airlines (JAL) today announced it collaborated with IBM to jointly develop IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps – Assign Tech and Inspect & Turn — to improve the aircraft maintenance process. Using iPad Pro and iPhone, aircraft engineers have access to tools and processes that allow them to expedite repairs and modifications to the aircraft.

Improving the efficiency of aircraft maintenance for skilled engineers is an important issue for every airline. In the short amount of time that engineers have between landing and takeoff they need to check maintenance status, prepare maintenance manuals and adjust any necessary parts. They also need to communicate with related departments all while traveling between the airport apron and maintenance office.

The IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps eliminate manual-based processes and reduces time spent on preparing and reporting technical issues. Aircraft engineers at JAL are now able to focus on identifying higher-level issues by saving time on routine maintenance checks. Engineers who inspect the aircraft can now check the estimated arrival time, review the most up-to-date flight schedule and be alerted of any gate changes, without having to contact the office. Instead of reporting the progress of tasks via radio, engineers can now share aircraft preparation status for a flight immediately using iPad and iPhone.

Inspect & Turn allows engineers real-time access to all the relevant data from JAL systems of record, including work history, crew reports and necessary parts and tools required for the job. Assign Tech enables aircraft engineer supervisors to better prepare for each maintenance task by utilizing analytics on repair times, required parts and tools, and information collected in-flight.

“Traditionally during aircraft arrival and departure, engineers have to travel hundreds of meters between the airport apron and the office in order to receive and relay information,” said Heidi Fillmore, Global Industry Executive Partner, IBM Travel & Transportation.

“We’ve tapped our deep knowledge of the airline industry to develop a mobile solution that puts critical information in the hands of flight maintenance employees to enhance the collaboration among JAL aircraft maintenance teams and improve airport processes, contributing to flights arriving and leaving on time for a better travel experience.”